Facebook to push augmented reality

Facebook is planning to tap into augmented reality technology popularised by the hit smartphone game Pokemon Go.

Speaking on Tuesday at F8, the company's annual conference for software developers, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the social media platform was an obvious hub for businesses to experiment with the technology which mixes real life and digital worlds.

Facebook users could use augmented reality to leave a virtual note for a friend at a bar, or to find virtual street art on a real life wall, Mr Zuckerberg said.

"This isn't just about finding a Pokemon in a one-block radius," he said.

Eventually people would use augmented reality on eyewear, Mr Zuckerberg said, although he stopped short of suggesting the company was planning to make games itself.

Pokemon Go, developed by Nintendo Co and Niantic Inc, generated millions of followers worldwide, with players using their phones to capture animated creatures that appear in real locations.

Other uses of augmented reality have included the ability to hang out with a hologram of "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm or assemble a virtual human brain.